Vampire Hunter
by CatChild1
Summary: Signs are showing about a possible nest of vampires and the Winchesters are having trouble tracking them down, so they look for help from a retired vampire hunter.
1. Chapter 1

_**Typical Disclaimer:** This story has the typical violence you'll see in the show along with all the angst. I try not to get too off character or too violent, but I'm giving it a mature rating just to be on the safe side._

_I of course own nothing and get nothing but the satisfaction of writing the story and hopefully making it enjoyable for others as well. Comments are always welcome, good or bad. Thank you to everyone and I hope you have been enjoying it._

---

_A/N: Even though John died in the beginning of Season 2, I have included him in this story. I guess you can say it took place between "Dead Man's Blood" and "Salvation"._

---

**Vampire Hunter**

Dean's phone started ringing, waking him from a nice dream. Grumbling he rolled over as Sam started stirring too and grabbed the phone. Coordinates displayed back to him.

"What is it?" mumbled Sam as he propped himself up on his elbows.

"Coordinates." Dean grumbled as he let his head fall back on the pillow. He rubbed his face with his free hand and took a deep breath. Glancing at his watch he noticed that it was just a little after 5 AM. "Not like we were actually going to sleep much longer anyway," he grumbled some more as he pulled himself out from under the covers. He tossed the phone to Sam as he passed by heading for the bathroom.

Sam caught the phone and headed for the laptop.

---

"Kate, are you sure about this?" the small female standing next to the slightly taller female whispered nervously as they looked down the hill towards an old abandoned barn. It was a familiar sight, similar to their previous home.

They had traveled a long way; both were tired and extremely hungry. They had been careful to eat only when they had to and hid all the evidence to avoid detection. The taller female, Kate, nodded, "we need a home, and I'm tired of running. Besides, there's been no evidence that anyone's been following us anyway."

Taking a deep breath, Kate left the tree-line and headed for the barn. She stood outside, about 100 feet from the entrance, and waited. After a moment or two, the door opened and six individuals walked out, led by a large burly looking man and his mate, who was built like a female wrestler. Kate shifted nervously but stood her ground. The smaller woman with her swallowed hard and stayed behind Kate.

The group sized up the newcomers for a few minutes. The leader of the group walked up to Kate and glanced behind her to the companion that was obviously more scared. His skin was so dark that he could easily be mistaken for a shadow at night and he towered at least a foot over the two women. The smell of fresh blood on his lips caused Kate to shiver and her second set of teeth descended automatically.

The man smiled at her and nodded. "Where have you traveled from?"

"Colorado," was Kate's simple reply.

"Anyone following you?"

"We've been very careful, so not that I am aware of."

He nodded again, "come in then." He turned and the group followed behind Kate as she followed behind him and his mate.

---

Chris looked at the patterns of the bodies found and the number of missing individuals. The pieces fit just as they always did. He just couldn't figure out why another nest would be formed in the same area. Yeah, the town was a great place to hide, but real hunters knew what to look for and while the signs were spread out, most in Houston, these vampires didn't seem to be worrying about the possibility of hunters. Of course with that said, why hadn't any hunters seen the pattern like he had and come down?

Well that was a week ago. Yesterday an interesting individual showed up. Rough and worn looking, he seems more in need a good meal and night's sleep than just a place to organize.

This wondering hunter had the same information. Chris had no idea how he'd learned that St. Mary's in Houston was a safe haven for hunters, but Chris assumed that it was a word-of-mouth thing between hunters. So the gruff man was welcomed into the church and shown to a small room where he could rest and prepare. Chris had seen the hunter's research this evening when he knocked on the door to see if the hunter wanted anything to eat. The maps and data figures taped to the wall were almost identical to his. That's when he decided to ask the hunter to review his information to see if they had a lead to the nest.

Unfortunately, all their information pointed to the same wide area in Texas, but no specific location other than the small town in the middle of it all, Colmesneil.

---

"So what have you got?" Dean walked out of the restroom, toweling his hair dry, and headed for the table where Sam was looking up the coordinates.

"Looks like Texas. A little place called Colmesneil. Pretty remote and out of the way, it's a little over 100 miles northeast of Houston. Papers don't show anything that might interest us though." Sam shrugged as he leaned back away from the screen and rubbed his eyes.

"Well you know how it goes, if Dad sent us coordinates then there must be something down there to kill." Dean said as he pulled out clean clothes and got dressed. Sam just nodded and headed for the shower.

---

"You might need some help with this one John. Even though the signs are evident, if this is a group, they're hiding well." Chris said as he poured John another cup of coffee.

"Thanks, I've called in some reinforcements, you might say." John said as sipped the drink.

"Well, you might consider someone that might still be nearby. This hunter has been tracking and hunting vampires for a long time, retired now, but she's taken out an entire nest or two in her time." Chris offered with a slight smile.

"She, huh? Not too many female hunters out there, much less that could take out a whole nest of vampires." John doubted the priest's confidence was in the right place, but tried not to insult him while he was a guest.

"Trust me," Chris' smile broadened and seemed almost a little mischievous, "she's one of the best hunters I've ever met."

---

John watched them with a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Sometimes they were so easy to follow, but those were the times when they were just arriving and beginning their investigations. Once they got into the job or they were leaving from a job completed, they were very good at covering their tracks and he could easily lose them if he didn't keep a close eye on them. He was proud of his boys, even if he never said it. Emotions cloud judgment and mistakes are made, best they keep on their toes and not think about pride or love.

Sam and Dean pulled into the small hotel in Colmesneil and grabbed a room. It didn't take them long before they were settled into the room. "How 'bout we get some lunch?" Dean piped up as he dropped his bag onto the bed he'd chosen.

Sam nodded, "sure, there's a couple of placed across the street." Sam tossed his bag onto the other bed and put the laptop bag next it before following Dean out of the door.

John sat back in the booth so that he could no longer be seen from the window. He knew the type of food his boys would be looking for, the very same food that he always looked for, and the same food they'd been eating all their lives. They didn't drive over, just jogged across the street, and he watched them as they entered the diner and the little bell overhead sounded, announcing the newcomers.

Sam was the first to see him, sitting in the booth on the far end of the diner near the edge of the last window. He grabbed Dean's arm before his older brother could move away, his eyes never leaving his father.

The grab was so reflexive that Dean jumped and turned to see what was wrong. He looked at Sam first, then down the row of booths to where his little brother was gawking, and rested his eyes on John, "Dad?"

John smiled a little and waved his boys to come join him. As they reached the booth they saw two cups of coffee steaming on the opposite side of the booth from their dad. Cream and sugar sat next to the one closest to the window, while nothing sat next to the one closest to the aisle. Sam just smile and slid into the booth before Dean and added the cream and sugar to his cup.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" Dean asked as they slid into the booth in front of him.

"Well," John started as he sipped his coffee and waved for the waitress, "we've got a possible nest that needs to be cleared out." As the waitress came over, "can you get my sons a couple of menus? I'll take the burger and fries, everything on the burger." The waitress smiled, "sure thing honey."

"A nest? Of vampires?" Dean questioned as the waitress walked away. "If they're supposed to be so extinct, how come we keep finding them?"

John just shrugged, "I haven't been looking for them because I thought they were extinct. Besides, Elkins and others like him were always hunting for them, so I concentrated on finding the demon and killing other things."

"So you're asking for our help again?" Sam snipped as he set his coffee cup down.

"Why not? We worked well together last time," Dean snipped back at him.

Sam just shrugged, "I'm not saying it's a bad thing, just strange. I didn't think you wanted us around until we really knew where the demon was going to strike again."

"I said we'd hunt the thing together and I meant it. I left because I needed to check these signs out. I'm pretty sure it's a nest, I just can't pin down its location."

"So we're not in the right spot? You just sent us the coordinates so we could meet up with you?" Sam questioned.

"Sort of," John started as the waitress returned and handed the boys some menus. "This seems to be a central location. Most of the disappearances or bodies found are in Houston. However, there have been a few in Zavalla, Seven Oaks, and Jasper. Now all these cities are hundreds of miles apart, but this town hasn't been hit at all. Which is why I thought it might be their staging area, so to speak. I think their nest is somewhere near here." John shrugged, "either that or we're dealing with a single vampire in or near each of those cities living and hunting alone."

Dean frowned, "do vampires do that?"

"Not normally. No records that I've found, but that doesn't mean it might not be the case." John pulled out a small piece of paper, "I met up with a priest named Chris in Houston and he gave me some information on how to contact a retired hunter who might be able to help. It's really weird on how we contact her, but there's no reason why we can't see if she knows anything."

---

Dean picked up the paper and read over the article his father had placed there, using the exact words the priest had given them: "_She lurks in the shadows watching the night, striking when necessary to join the fight._" Dean snorted, "Seems pretty cheesy. And what kind of hunter is she if she only joins a fight when necessary? A real hunter would join the fight at the start."

John just shook his head, "it's just a message, Dean, to get her attention and see if she's in the area and willing to meet. From what the priest says, she's one of the best hunters he's ever met."

Dean snorted again, thoughts of a dark haired female playing through his mind. Her moves and grace brought a slight smile to his face and he mumbled, "I don't know, I think I might have met the best … female hunter …"

Sam looked at Dean and almost laughed. Instead he just smiled and shook his head before asking his dad, "This is the third town we've tried. Are you sure that priest sent us to the right area? I mean, we waste almost two days for each trip. One day to put in the message and then most of another day looking for the reply and moving on when it's not there."

"The priest said he didn't know exactly where she lived, no one does. And he stressed that just because she answers an ad in a particular location doesn't mean she lives there. She's really good at covering her tracks." John told his boys.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Typical Disclaimer:** This story has the typical violence you'll see in the show along with all the angst. I try not to get too off character or too violent, but I'm giving it a mature rating just to be on the safe side._

_I of course own nothing and get nothing but the satisfaction of writing the story and hopefully making it enjoyable for others as well. Comments are always welcome, good or bad. Thank you to everyone and I hope you have been enjoying it._

---

The day progressed slowly and all three of them were bored, even though John made himself look busy on the computer and going through his journal. Eventually, more out of boredom then anything else, especially when John said they needed to lie low and wouldn't let Dean go to a local bar, they settled down and went to sleep. Dean had huffed about just wanting a beer and promising to stay away from the chicks, but gave up at his father's stern look and went to bed.

Dean woke with a start, as did Sam, when the motel door closed loudly. They both jumped up to a sitting position as John walked over to the table smirking at them with a paper in his hand. Sam smiled and fell back onto his pillow letting Dean take his shower first.

John thumped the table in a very light show of excitement as he read the reply: "_When darkness nears and the shadows hide the rocks below, the point of interest will be the point of meeting._"

"What the hell?" Sam frowned.

John didn't reply and just opened the computer and began typing quickly. Sam rose from the bed and moved to watch over his father's shoulder.

By the time Dean got out of the shower, John and Sam were packing their bags and checking over weapons.

"What's going on?" Dean asked a little nervously.

"There was a reply and dad found the location. We're supposed to be there at sunset." Sam said as he zipped up his bag.

"So, where are we going?" Dean grabbed some clean clothes out of his bag and quickly got dressed.

"Dad thinks it's about a hundred or so miles northeast from here, at a park's popular look-out." Sam shrugged.

Dean raised his eyebrows a little and shrugged. He finished getting dressed and packed up his bag. "So why are we leaving now? If she doesn't want us there until this evening, I mean?"

"Because I want to get into position before she gets there. Sammy and you can hide out under cover and I'll wait at the meeting spot."

"What? I thought she was a hunter? She's on our side, right? So why are we hiding?" Dean questioned.

"Because we can never be too careful." John snapped almost irritatingly at his son's continued questioning.

Dean blinked a second and frowned, but didn't say anything else. Sammy just shrugged, slightly amused that it was Dean asking the questions and getting barked at instead of him.

---

She watched them from the shadow of a large tree. Her outfit covered her from head to toe. She was hot and her skin burned slightly, but the thick black outfit covered her well and the sun was below the tops of the high hills now. They were very handsome men. Each one with a scent all their own and uniquely intoxicating. At the same time there was a familiarity about them towards each other and she knew they were family. Guessing at their ages she determine one was the father and the other two most likely brothers.

They were smart. Very smart. The reply to their article had been cryptic at best and yet they knew where to come to find her. These hunters were not to be underestimated. She had been watching for over three hours now. They had arrived about an hour ago and she'd watched the boys take up positions hidden in the trees while their father covered their footprints and positioned himself next to the car. They were well armed too.

She waited and watched, never moving or shifting, just resting lightly against the tree. They waited two hours after the designated meeting time before he called out to the boys to come back. They talked briefly at the car, shrugging their confusion and frustrations. She smiled lightly to herself and moved silently through the woods to her waiting motorcycle. Taking custom covers that she'd made, she attached them to all the lights of the bike, hiding them completely. Once she heard the loud rumbling of their car, she started the bike. Her eyes were well adjusted to the dark and she slowly drove the motorcycle around the trees and onto the road a short distance behind them, following them carefully back to their motel.

She watched them enter their room and then turned the bike around, heading to her home. Parking the bike, she took off the helmet and replaced it with a silk hood she'd made for herself before she got into her car and drove back to the motel. It took her several hours, but she wanted to be there when morning came. She parked on the opposite side of the motel and grabbed her wide brimmed hat from the back seat.

---

Sam woke with a start and blinked his eyes quickly as the nightmare faded. He took a few deep breaths and looked over at the bed where Dean was still sleeping soundly. His dad was sleeping with his head down on his arms on the table. Sam shook his head; he could never understand how his dad could sleep like that and not have serious back or neck pains.

Looking out the window he could see that the sun was starting to rise. He quietly got up and used the bathroom. Once finished he fixed a small glass of water and drank it. It was a little warm, even with just the cold water turned on. He grabbed the ice bucket and headed for the door. As he reached for the handle he heard his father mumble from between his arms, "where ya going?"

Sam couldn't help but smile, his dad hadn't move at all, but was probably awake the moment Sam had sat up in bed. "I'm just going for some ice," he whispered softly, not wanting to wake Dean.

John raised his head and Sam almost laughed at the red splotches on his dad's face left from sleeping on his arms. "Be careful, I'm not sure what happened last night, but I'm positive we had the right location."

Dean stirred and sat up frowning.

"You two want me to get anything else while I'm after the ice?"

Dean and John both just shook their heads. John sat up and stretched, Dean headed for the bathroom, and Sam closed the door lightly behind him as he headed for the ice machine.

---

Sam walked over to the ice machine and hit the button, watching as the ice slowly filled the small bucket. Out of trained habits, he glanced around at the open hallway and the metal stairs that led up to the second floor. The ice finished spilling and he reached down to pick it up. That's when he heard the noise. It was just a light airy sound that normal people would have never found odd. But Sam knew better, he knew in that fraction of a second that it was something moving quickly towards him.

He let his knees buckled, controlled, to allow him to suddenly lower and roll away from the ice machine. His hair was brushed lightly by the object that hit the ice machine instead of the back of his head. As he came out of the roll he stared at a woman in all black, from neck to toe, thick black leather that hugged every seductive curve and muscle of her body. Her head was covered with what appeared to be a black scarf and wide brimmed hat. Her eyes were a soft green-blue.

There was nothing soft or seductive about her attack though. Her movements were fast and strong. Faster than Sam could stop. He'd never seen anyone move so quickly or strike so hard. His arms ached from blocking her strikes and he noticed the sap she had in her hand, the object that was going to be used on his head to begin with. He yelled out, "Dean!" in hopes that his dad or brother would hear him. This seemed to make her move harder and faster. He'd already been hit in the face and body several times. When she got another strike to his cheek, causing him to turn slightly, his next sensation was that of something hard hitting him on the side, almost back, of his head. "_The damn sap,_" he chastised himself as the stars in his eyes were replaced with darkness and he slumped to the ground.

---

John and Dean were talking about the earlier events when John raised his hand for Dean to be silent. Dean knew the signal and immediately became quiet, waiting for his dad to say something else. John stood nervously and began walking towards the door. Dean grabbed his gun and immediately began following. As they opened the door they heard the tires screeching from a car on the other side of the motel. There was no hesitation as they immediately broke into a run and headed for the ice machine.

Rounding the corner to the small hallway that separated the parking lots on either side of the motel, the ice machine stood alone with the bucket of ice still sitting on the shelf under the shoot. John moved passed it without a second glance, heading towards the other parking lot. Just as he expected there was no sign of Sam or the car that had made the noise.

Dean stopped at the ice machine and casually ran his hand over the dent in the metal about shoulder height. He bent down as if to pick up the ice and looked at the dent again; it was at the right level for where Sam's head would be. Fear gripped at his chest as he began looking around on the ground. John walked over and bent down, touching a wet red spot on the ground, "blood," was all he said as he stood up and moved quickly back to the motel room.

Dean continued to look around and he could see the light scuff marks from where Sammy must have been drug towards the parking lot and into a vehicle. He silently cursed himself for not getting the ice and for not keeping his little brother safe. Finding nothing of use, he returned to the motel room where his dad was packing their belongings.

John had the phone to his ear while he zipped up his bag. Dean waited patiently and apparently John was waiting for something as well. After a moment or two, John straightened and began growling into the phone, "what have you done? My son has been taken by your hunter and I want to know why and where he is, right now."

Dean sat down heavily on his bed and watched his father pace and growl at the person on the phone. After a short while John closed the phone with a hard snap and Dean almost thought he was going to throw it across the room. Instead, John set the phone down and leaned against the table on clenched fists. "So how do we get Sammy back?" Dean asked softly. John glanced up at him, "we put another post in the damn paper."

---

The first thing Sam became aware of was the smell of roses. He remembered the smell because he'd given a few to Jessica. She'd told him they were lame and he should be a little more uncommon and spontaneous. The next thing Sam became aware of was the intense throbbing pain coming from his head and he let out an uncontrolled groan.

He was lying in a bed on his stomach with head turned to the side on a small pillow. Shifting slightly so that he could maneuver onto his side and then slowly onto his back made his head throb horribly, but eventually he got himself turned over. The uncovered ceiling, 3/4 gray large brick walls and small but covered windows told him that he was in a basement. He heard a rustle noise off to his right and he bolted upright into the bed causing his head to swim and his stomach to lurch queasily.

A woman sat on a long dresser against the far side of the room. A set of steps led up and out of the basement. The room wasn't lit very well, just a small lamp next to Sam on his left, resting on a small bedside table. But with what light was there he could see she was still wearing all black, including her boots and gloves. She's wasn't wearing the mask any more and he could see her short black hair. Her eyes watched him closely, casually even.

"Who are you?" Her voice was plain and authoritative, and no fear at all.

"Sam," he coughed lightly, realizing that his throat was dry. "Sam Winchester. Who are you? And why did you attack me?"

"What do you want?" She completely ignored his questions.

"I want to get back to my brother and father." He frowned, "who are you? And why did you attack me?" he asked again.

She moved off of the dresser and walked to a full sized refrigerator, opened the freezer section, and pulled out a tray of ice. She moved over to a small sink with attached counter and poured the ice onto a dish towel.

When she turned her attention away from him, Sam cautiously moved off the bed and began planning his escape route.

"Don't bother. I'd catch you before you got anywhere near the steps." She said plainly, wrapping the ice up into the towel and turning towards him. She walked across the room towards him and held out the towel for him to take, "here, it'll help with the knot on your head."

Sam reached out tentatively and took the towel from her, placing it with a wince on the spot where she'd hit him with the sap.

"You're not much of a fighter are you?" She said coyly.

Sam frowned, "if I need to I am. I'm still trying to figure out why you brought me here in the first place and who you are. Would you mind answering this time?"

For the first time, she smiled. Just a half smile, but a nice one. "You requested a meeting, and then set up a trap. I just didn't walk into it and set one of my own."

Sam's eyebrows rose, "you're the vampire hunter?" Relief was evident in his face as he smiled, "it wasn't a trap, really. My dad's pretty cautious and wanted to make sure we weren't walking into a trap ourselves. That's all."

She nodded once, "so what do you want."

"We kill vampires," Sam started, but didn't get a chance to finish. She punched him in the nose, knocking him back. Before he could get his bearings, she grabbed his arm, flipped him onto the ground on his back, and straddled him with a large knife she'd drawn from somewhere he'd not seen, and held the knife to his throat. "What the …" again he didn't get to finish before he finally understood what was happening.

The knife stung as it pressed into and cut a small slice in his throat. She held it tightly with one hand, her other hand holding one of his wrists against his chest, his arm crossed under the one holding the knife. When she spoke it came out as a light hiss, the second set of teeth … the fangs … descended and covering her regular teeth now, "you kill vampires, eh?"


	3. Chapter 3

_**Typical Disclaimer:** This story has the typical violence you'll see in the show along with all the angst. I try not to get too off character or too violent, but I'm giving it a mature rating just to be on the safe side._

_I of course own nothing and get nothing but the satisfaction of writing the story and hopefully making it enjoyable for others as well. Comments are always welcome, good or bad. Thank you to everyone and I hope you have been enjoying it._

---

_A/N: I had started this story before I saw "Bloodlust" and I apologize if there are similarities, I don't mean to copy the show. I did change quite a bit in this chapter so that it wouldn't look completely copied, what remains would have caused the story to flow differently if I'd changed it or I just couldn't think of anything better to change it to while writing this. In any case, I hope you enjoy this chapter and forgive me for anything that resembles the show too much._

---

Sam couldn't think of anything to say. Fear gripped his chest and stole his words. He could feel the heels of her feet pressing against the back of his thighs as she squeezed him slightly, ready to maintain her position if he tried to buck or push her off of him. His right hand was free even though his left was pinned to his chest, but she held the knife deftly to his throat, ready to press and slash if he moved a muscle to attack her. "I … I don't understand …"

"You're going to tell me the truth now, who sent you here for me?"

"Father Chris … a priest in," he gasped as she pressed the knife a little harder into his throat.

"I know who Father Chris is. Now tell me why he sent you to me."

"We're tracking a couple of vampires here. They were from a nest we cleared out in Colorado." A small trickle of blood was beginning to run down the side of his neck and she took a deep breath in, savoring the smell. Sam tensed, waiting for the right moment to move, if she'd just move the knife away.

She inhaled deeply again through her nose, "you have a sweet smell to your blood," she leaned down slightly and Sam tensed again. The hand on his chest was holding his wrist tight, but if he could use his right arm to free his left, he could knock the knife away from his throat … if he moved fast enough.

She must have sensed something because she whispered lightly, "your throat will be cut and I'll be drinking what spills if you move a muscle." Sam's eyes widened slightly and his breath hitched in his throat. But as she noted the fear and smiled, she relaxed her grip enough to give Sam what he believed was his chance.

He grabbed her hand and used both arms to push the hand with the knife away from his throat. The movement got her off balance just enough that he could roll her off of him. He kept with the roll until he was on top of her, his elbow in her throat, pressing down hard, stopping any air moment. "_Did vampires even need air?_" the fleeting thought drifted through Sam's mind.

What Sam didn't expect was for her to start laughing as she twisted her arm out from under his and punched the knife into the side of his stomach. The pain caused his stomach muscles to contract and he grunted, lightening the pressure on her throat. She was still gripping him with her legs and deftly flipped him back over onto his back with the strength a normal woman of her size would never have. But then she wasn't normal any more.

Sam coughed lightly, expecting there to be more pain where she'd stabbed him, but oddly there was only a dull throbbing. He was on his back again, both of his hands resting unhindered by his sides. As he caught his breath he looked at her, she was still bearing her second set of teeth, one hand on his throat and it felt like the other was still at his side with the knife. He glanced down to see her hand, fisted and hovering over his stomach, ready to strike him again, but the blade pointed away from him. He huffed and smiled briefly, understanding now why it didn't hurt more. She'd punched him hard, but not with the blade. Instead, she'd hit him with the hilt and her fist.

She smirked and brought the blade up to her lips, tasting the blood left there from the cut on Sam's neck with the tip of her tongue. Sam watched in horror as her eyes lit up as if she was sampling a piece gourmet chocolate. She noted the look in his eyes and poised the knife as if she were contemplating whether or not to use it on him for real.

Suddenly, she smiled and leaned just a little closer, "Father Chris didn't tell you that the vampire hunter you were coming to meet was a hunter and a vampire. Did he?"

"No," Sam whispered. He tried to relax while his mind raced, hoping again that she would drop her guard enough for him to try and free himself, but for the moment he kept both hands near his head, open palmed and submissive.

"Didn't think so. He's a little shit like that. You're not the first hunter to come calling for my help to be just as surprised." She still had the knife poised to plunge it into his chest, "only the last hunter couldn't get over it and I had to kill him to keep him from killing me." She smiled, "his blood wasn't as sweet as yours though."

Sam reached up and grabbed the wrist that was holding the knife and punched her hard in the face with his other. She leaned back slightly with the blow, so Sam pushed her with his free hand and pulled with the other rolling her off him again. Only this time, he bolted for the stairs. Unfortunately, she was just a little faster recovering than he'd hoped. She twisted and kicked out with one foot, catching him on the front of his ankle, causing him to stumble slightly.

He didn't stop, he had reached the stairs and turned, stepping onto the first step when the knife flew by his head and impaled itself in the wall's 2x4 at his head's height above the second step. He stopped in shock for only a second before he grabbed the knife and attempted to pull it from the wall. It wouldn't budge, so he turned to face her as she reached the stairs.

He shifted his weight and kicked as hard as he could, aiming for her stomach. She yelled in pain as she doubled over and was lifted off her feet and thrown into the wall behind her. Sam turned again, ignoring the knife and running up the stairs. He reached the door and tried to open it, but it was locked. He stepped back, ready to kick the door in when the blow to his left kidney rocked through his body, making his knees weak. He gasped for breath as he sank down onto his knees and doubled over, twisting slightly with the cramp that tighten the muscles in his side.

He felt her grab him by the back collar of his jacket and her arm reached around to cradle his neck. Fear twisted his stomach; with her strength, she could easily break his neck without a second thought. Instead, she pulled slightly, more with the hand on the collar of his jacket than the one around his throat, and drug him back down the stairs. Once as the bottom, she twisted and threw him across the room. He landed with a grunt near the bed.

He turned and tried to stand up as she came towards him at a run. He prepared to grab her and throw her, but she shifted at the last minute, jumping slightly, and kicked him in the chest. The wind was knocked out of him and pained racked through his chest, as he was knocked back onto the bed. The pain was intense and he couldn't catch his breath. He wondered lightly if this is what was felt when someone was having a heart attack, had she kicked him that hard?

She jumped back onto his stomach as he fought to inhale. She grabbed both his wrists and placed them on his chest, holding them still, but didn't push them into his chest as he finally began breathing. Coughing mostly, but breathing at least. Her eyes were wide with excitement, the same look Dean sometimes got when he was on a hunt and had finally found his prey and beaten it. She sat there watching him as he slowly got his breath under control.

He watched her with a confused expression on his face. She could have killed him and fed upon him several times now, but she hadn't. Was she toying with him? Was she waiting to see how much more he'd fight before he gave up?

She tilted her head slightly; studying him quizzically, as if he were something new she was trying to figure out. She watched as his breathing slowly returned to normal, well as normal as someone who was just beaten lightly could be. As he took a deep breath and studied her, she leaned towards him a little and whispered, "Want to wrestle some more?" Sam looked at her in surprise, "Is this a game to you? 'Cause I gotta say that I'm not having any fun here."

She laughed lightly and the second set of teeth retracted back. She moved her body off of Sam slowly, and with one knee on the bed and one foot on the ground, she let go of his wrists, grabbed his shirt front and hauled him up onto his feet, standing up completely with him.

Sam followed her lead and stood up in front of her. He was quite a bit taller, but even his height and strength didn't seem to help much. He swallowed, "so now what?"

She was still watching him, his movements, and his eyes. "That depends. Am I going to have a problem with you?" Sam just shook his head a little. After another moment, she stepped backed away from him, turned and retrieved her knife from the wall. She could see him let out a breath and relax his shoulders a bit as she moved away and she smiled lightly.

"One's your dad and the other's your brother" She said it as matter of fact and not a question. Sam just nodded. "So which one is Dean?" She turned and walked over to stand in front of the dresser. Sam frowned and looked at her questioningly. She smiled, "you called out to him for help when I ambushed you at the motel. Is Dean your dad or your brother?"

"My brother."

"I find it interesting that you'd call out for a sibling and not a parent." She shrugged and interrupted the protest or explanation he was about to provide, "You might want to stop the bleeding," she indicated the small cut on his neck.

Opening the top left drawer, she pulled out what looked like a pillow case and threw it to Sam, "put this over your head."

Sam looked at it and it was indeed a pillow case, black and thick, he wouldn't be able to see through it, "you're kidding right?" No, he could tell by the look on her face that she was not kidding at all. "Why? You know why we're here, you're safe, so why?" He bent down and picked up the towel that had contained the ice and pressed it against his neck, wincing lightly at the pain. He was going to need more than just the cool towel with some melted ice to ease the pain in his back left side. The shot to his kidney probably bruised it and it was going to hurt for a while.

"I don't know that at all. You're here under duress. Your passiveness is due to your captivity. I don't know anything about you or your family, though I have heard stories about the Winchesters and their hunting prowess. I'd hate to have to kill any of you." She glanced lazily down at the knife and the remainder of the blood that Sam had left behind. She swallowed lightly then walked over to the sink and turned on the water, cleaning the blade quickly before drying it and returning it to the sheath that was attached upside-down on her back and under her shirt.

Sam shifted his weight from one foot to the other watching her curiously. "So what do you drink?" He had a feeling that he might have offended her for some reason so he quickly added, "I mean, do you drink human blood?" He was suddenly feeling nervous again.

"If I did, do you think you would be alive or unbound?"

Sam shrugged, "I don't know."

She smiled again, "Actually, yes I do. I drink human and animal blood. The latter is pretty disgusting, but it helps me get by." She noted the frown on his face, "Before you get all huffy and I have to knock you down again, I don't kill humans. Drink their blood, yes. Kill them, no." She moved across the room towards him and he instinctively stepped back once but waited as she stepped in front of him, looking into his face and smiled, "you want to donate any?"

"Uh … no … I think I'll keep mine to myself." Sam raised his hands up in a mock surrender and tried to smile.

"Put the hood on and I'll take you back to your family."

He started to comply then stopped, "wait, since we're here talking anyway, can we talk about the vampires we're tracking? I mean, Father Chris did say you could help us and that's why we're here."

She motioned to the bed, "get comfortable then."

Sam blinked. He looked to the bed and then back to her with a little trepidation. She just started laughing, "Just sit down," she quipped as she moved and sat down in a small reading chair that strangely reminded him of Evelyn and the haunted painting. "If you're tracking them, what do you need me for?"

"Well," Sam cleared his throat, "we lost their trail, but we're pretty sure they've come into this area or passed through it. Father Chris said you might be able to help us find their trail and pick them up again. There's also a possibility of a nest that they might have joined with around here somewhere, based on the research my dad's done."

"I tell you what, I'll do some checking and I'll get back with you."

"What? Why not work with us? I'm sure we can help each other …"

"I don't think so," she cut him off. "I don't need anyone's help. I can track them and find where they're hiding. I was a damn good hunter before I was turned and I'm an even better one now. Besides, if it's just two, it shouldn't be a problem taking them out. And if it's a nest, then so much the better."

"My dad's not just going to walk away from this hunt because you say you'll take care of it," Sam reasoned, "and neither will my brother or me."

"Maybe not, and if you three succeed in finding them before me, then more power to you. If not, then you've gotten some exercise maybe?"

"Come on, let us help. It certainly can't hurt?"

"Like I said, I don't know anything about you or your family. I don't trust you and I'm certainly not going to hunt with you. So, are we done talking? You ready to get back to the motel?"

"Yeah, I guess so." He looked at his feet a little down-trodden. "Hey, if you were such a damn good hunter, how did you get turned?" Sam asked as he looked back up to her.

She frowned and tensed, but she could see in his face that he wasn't really trying to be hateful. His tone was more curious than spiteful. Sam noticed her expression and lowered his gaze back down to the floor, "sorry, I didn't mean anything by that." He shrugged and looked at back at her.

She thought for a moment then shrugged also, "too many vamps at once. They decided I should share their fate rather than just killing me." Her eyes appeared to focus somewhere other than the room as she remembered. "Guess they didn't think I'd turn around and kill them all afterwards." Her sudden half-smile that appeared was a little unnerving, so Sam looked away and checked the towel and the wound on his neck to make sure it had stopped bleeding.

After he put the pillow case over his head he heard her giggling. He started to take it off but her hand stopped his, "I'm sorry, you just look a little goofy."

He huffed, "well why don't you just take be back without this?"

He heard her take a deep breath before she grabbed both his wrists and attempted to secure them behind his back. "Hey!" he yelled and tried to step away from her. She pulled and twisted his arms painfully, then kicked the back of one of his knees making him drop down to the ground onto them. He felt her breath through the pillow case, "sorry Sam, but I have to make sure you're not going to try anything funny."

"And I thought we were getting along so well," Sam spat at her.

"We were and we still are, as long as you continue to cooperate." He heard her sigh heavily, "Remember, this is because I really don't know you and I don't trust you. I'm sorry, but no one knows where I live and I'm keeping it that way. Don't worry," she reasoned, "no one will see you besides me like this." He couldn't see the playful smile or her attempts to keep from laughing as she led him up the stairs and into the garage.

He could tell by the echoes, the sounds, and the smells that he was in a garage. He heard her close and lock a door, probably to the house. He was then led to and helped to sit in the back seat of a car. She pushed him lightly down, "now lie down and stay down. Don't make me have to turn around and slap you like an unruly child." He heard her giggle lightly again before she secured his ankles together as well. All Sam could do was huff and try to get comfortable.

Sam heard the mechanical noises of the garage door opening after what seemed like a long time of waiting in the back seat. He had heard odd noises before then: clanking, zippers, and eventually the creaking of leather as she got into the car. He realized that he still didn't know what kind of car she drove, but as she turned over the engine, it sounded smooth. Definitely not the rough sounds the Impala or his dad's truck made. It had to be a newer model car, but he wasn't good at determining the sounds that different cars made so he concentrated on other sounds. The seats were cloth, he assumed, and he felt the soft upholstery on his face and thought with a smile that at least his face wouldn't stick to it.

They pulled out backwards at a downward angle. Before she turned up the radio he could have sworn he heard the sounds of children laughing outside. A twinge of fear twisted his stomach as he wondered if she possibly lived and fed from children. He made a mental note to do some research on that when he got back to the motel, but as he thought about it he really didn't believe that she would do something like that. She did say that she drank human blood, but she also asked if he'd donate. Did she have human friends that helped to feed her?

The music she played was more the style that he liked when he was with Jess and one or two of the songs brought back some painful memories. But again, he tried to concentrate on details of sounds and movements of the car. After an hour of driving, he'd lost track of everything and gave up. Instead he just closed his eyes and listened to the music allowing his mind to drift to times with Jess and collage and the friends he left behind when he returned to hunting with his brother.

Sam wasn't sure how much time had passed, but eventually the car came to a stop somewhere. She got out and opened the door by Sam's feet. She cut the ties on his ankles, and then helped him into a sitting position. She pulled him out of the car and led him to the side of a building, leaning him against the cold stone. He felt her place something cold, fairly thin, and long in one of his hands. As he examined it with his fingers, he felt the sharpness of the blade.

He stayed still and didn't cut the ties because he could still feel her standing next to him. She put one hand on his upper arm and another on his chest, "Sorry if I hurt too badly." Her voice was playful. "I hope you and your family stay well. Be careful."

She moved away from him and he started to cut the ties, but tried to get her to stay long enough for him to see her and her vehicle, "wait, please … we can work together."

He heard the door shut and the car pulled out of the lot squealing tires with her haste. By the time he cut the ties and pull the pillowcase off his head she was gone.

---

It was mid-afternoon and Dean was climbing the walls in a panic. There had been no word from whoever took Sam and he couldn't believe that his father was just sitting at the table doing nothing. He'd told Dean to just wait and if they didn't receive any word he would call the paper to put the ad in. They still had a little while before the ad had to be submitted in order to be in the paper the next day.

John was certain that the vampires wouldn't have come after them. It was daylight when Sam had been taken and everything he knew told him that they didn't hunt during the day. It had to be the hunter. He couldn't understand how he'd been tracked and not known. He was angry with himself and was doing his best to maintain a cool head, but Dean was about to drive him nuts with the pacing and knife sharpening. If Dean sharpened that knife one more time it was going to be too thin to penetrate anything without breaking, he thought to himself with mild amusement.

The squealing tires made them both jump. John was first out the door with Dean close on his heals. They ran as fast as they could to the other side of the building and found Sam snapping whatever was holding his wrists together. They ran over to him as he pulled the pillow case over his head.

"Sammy! Oh thank God," Dean yelled as he ran to Sam's side and began checking him over, noting the cut on his neck, "I'll kill her, I swear I will!"

"I'm ok," he pushed Dean back a little but without force or anger, "I'm not a kid, I'm fine. It's just a small cut." He sighed and leaned back against the wall. He suddenly felt extremely tired.

Dean frowned but backed off a little as John stepped up beside them and asked, "What happened, Sammy?"

"She saw us last night, hiding. She thought we were trying to trap her and followed us back here. When I came out for ice, she jumped me."

Dean smirked, "jumped by a girl, eh? Getting a little …"

"No, Dean." Sam cut him off. "She's a good, skilled fighter. And more …" Sam's voice trailed off. Dean's smirk broadened into a smile and he was about to say something crass when he noted the slight shiver run up Sam's body.

"What do you mean?" John asked a little too impatient.

Sam looked up at both of them, "She's a vampire too."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Typical Disclaimer:** This story has the typical violence you'll see in the show along with all the angst. I try not to get too off character or too violent, but I'm giving it a mature rating just to be on the safe side._

_I of course own nothing and get nothing but the satisfaction of writing the story and hopefully making it enjoyable for others as well. Comments are always welcome, good or bad. Thank you to everyone and I hope you have been enjoying it._

---

"A vampire?" John blinked in surprise.

Sam nodded to his dad, "yeah, a vampire. She still hunts just like we do. I was in a basement that looked like it was in good repair, so she's living somewhere nice I guess. I heard children laughing as we pulled out, before she turned the music up too loud, so I think she lives in a neighborhood."

"We need to move," John said as he started walking quickly back to their room, "Well, she's going to look completely human until she's feeding, so the people around her may never know what she really is until it's too late. There's no telling how many of those people she's killed over the years…"

"We need to move?" Sam questioned as they entered the room, cutting off his father's musing.

"Of course we need to move. She knows where we are and she's probably going back to the nest to get her buddies." John snapped as he began packing his clothes and notes.

"Dad, I didn't see anyone else and she didn't hurt me really while I was there. She only took me because she thought we were here to kill her."

"We are now." John snapped again.

"What? No." Sam refused to pack his things and just stood staring his father down.

John studied his youngest and knew that look all too well. They were about to start butting heads, but at the same time he felt like Sam was probably right. Why else would she have not hurt him and brought him back to the motel? "If she's at the nest, she's dead. If I find any evidence that she's killed a human, she's dead."

Sam shrugged, "I don't know. She said she drinks human blood too, but I didn't ask where she gets it. She did say that she doesn't kill humans though."

John's brow wrinkled in thought, and then he turned to his oldest, "Dean, start checking records of blood donation centers. See if there's anything about thefts at the centers or hospitals.

"Dad? What are you going to do?" Sam asked nervously as he watched Dean head for the laptop and his dad finish packing before checking over his weapons.

John looked at him only a second before turning his attention back to the weapons, "_We_ are going to find and kill the vampires, Sam. That's why we're here and that's what we're going to do."

"And her?"

"We'll see when the time comes," was John's only reply.

---

The three Winchesters settled themselves into the new hotel room and John watched out the window intensely. They had drive randomly through neighborhoods and business districts while he watched to see if they were being followed. He'd mixed up powders and burned them so they could apply the ashes and hide their scent. Even so, he sat by the window and wouldn't let Dean or Sam leave for any reason.

"Ok," John began as the boys sat bored on the beds, "tomorrow we'll split up and search a few of the farms around Colmesneil that might be used as a nest. There's a huge number of possible farms, houses, and abandoned structures that might be possible hide-outs for them so it's going to take some time."

"You sure you want us to split up? Seems like we should stick together and watch each others' backs." Sam frowned up at his dad, but John just shook his head.

"We need to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time and this is the best way. We only check places during the day; everyone is to be back at this motel before the sun sets. If you find the nest or think you've found the nest, you leave and call us all back together. Then we'll go and check the place out together." John look pointedly at Dean, "no entering or taking on anything alone. If you can get a look inside without entering fine, but do not go into any buildings without backup. I don't want a repeat of the close call in Colorado."

Sam and Dean just nodded, "yes sir."

John pulled out a map and began sectioning off the locations for each of the boys to search. Sam frowned and looked up, "uh, dad?"

"Yeah Sammy?"

"We don't have three cars though?"

John just smiled, "don't worry about that, I'll take care of it."

---

Sam looked at the black Ford Explorer his father had rented in Houston and smiled. It brought back a memory of a black Tahoe, only this vehicle was smaller. However, it was nice and his long legs wouldn't be constantly bent or cramping after a long ride. And he could play whatever music he wanted to.

Dean smirked as he headed for the Impala with his copy of the map and area marked that he was to check.

"Remember boys, back here before the sun sets. No altercations if you can avoid them, and I do mean that you better avoid them. Keep watch to make sure you're not being followed. If you think you are, you call and we'll all meet."

They each nodded their agreement and silent good byes before getting into their vehicles and parting ways for the day.

---

The morning of the third day found them all a little grumpy but the search area was shrinking steadily and no incidents of being followed had happened. No incidents of strange deaths had appeared either.

"They're going to need to find fresh victims soon. Since they typically don't keep anyone around and bleed them for more than a week or so. It's been a while since we've seen reports of missing persons or strange corpses showing up, so I'm sure they'll be looking." John grumbled as they prepared to depart again.

"I've almost completed the search of my map section," Sam said, "I'll probably get done long before the sun sets today."

John nodded, "when you get done, if you still haven't found anything, call your brother and help him. I should probably be done with my area today as well."

"What if we don't find anything, dad?" Dean questioned with a hint of frustration.

"Then we missed something and we'll start again. If they're here, they're comfortable and they wont be moving so we have time, I just don't want to take too long and have someone else fall victim to their hunger. We need to find them."

The boys nodded and once more they all headed away from the motel to their respective map locations.

---

John noted the dirt road coming up to the small asphalt road he was traveling on and looked down at his map. There wasn't anything noted there. He slowed the truck to a stop and put it in reverse, backing up until he was at the dirt road. Climbing out, he checked the tire tracks in the dirt. They were only a day or so old.

There was no marking to indicate a residence. He looked to the sky, the sun would be setting soon. He needed to get back to the motel, but this road needed to be looked at too. He got back into the truck and drove down the asphalt road until he found a spot where he could pull off and hide the truck in the trees a little. He parked, checked his phone to make sure it was on silent, and went to the back for his weapons.

Looking over his arsenal he decided to take his short sword and a large knife. He coated both with dead man's blood before heading into the woods. It was getting dark and he knew this was a bad time, but he wanted to check it out before heading back. He just had a feeling that this might be it.

---

She watched him approach. It was the father, she could tell by his scent and his movements. While he was still very quiet, she could hear his steps on the ground and they were stronger, heavier, and surer than the younger hunters. This one was definitely an experienced hunter. There was another scent that she found on him as he got closer and moved past her just a few feet away. She saw the thick scarlet liquid on the long razor sharp blade … dead man's blood. There were no other sounds in the forest around her. He'd come alone. How foolish of him. If he was as experienced as she'd thought, then that experience had made him too bold and too confident.

She made no move and no sound. Her position in front of the bush and beside the tree covered her well and she stayed in the shadow as she had since before the sun had set. The burning from the sun during her trip into position had faded and the cool night air was a relief. The black leather outfit she always wore during the day did its job well, but couldn't completely protect her. She wanted to ask him why he'd been so foolish to come here as night set. Perhaps he just wanted to stake out the location and make sure he'd found the right spot. She'd found it a few nights ago and watched the movements of the nest, counted their number, and determined their strengths and weaknesses. She had planned on making an introductory move tonight. If the ones they were hunting had come down here trying to escape, perhaps she could get inside with the same ploy. Blame these hunters for the destruction of her nonexistent nest.

She frowned to herself and stayed in her place watching the older hunter crouch in the woods and take up a watchful position where he could see their movements. She had to smirk a little bit. For all his prowess, she was sitting behind him just 15 feet at most. She could have taken him out just a moment before when he snuck by her only a couple of feet away. She could wait until tomorrow perhaps to make her move. As long as he didn't screw anything up.

Movement from the barn attracted her attention and she watched a group of three vampires get into an old rusty pickup truck. Guess they were looking for some fresh food tonight. That left five in the barn. Not necessarily a group she wanted to take on yet, she didn't have enough inside information. She thought about following the truck and taking out the three but she didn't want to give away her position yet by moving.

To her surprise, the hunter moved first. Only he moved towards the bar instead of away from it. She watched curiously as he stayed to the shadows as best as he could while he moved to the side of the barn. She glanced over to the normal spot, but the look-out that the nest usually kept wasn't there and hadn't been there at all tonight. It was strange that they had a look-out, but it was even stranger that there wasn't one. Just as the thought occurred to her, she noticed the movement coming from the back of the barn.

---

John moved through the woods and sat watching the barn. When he saw the group leave he knew he'd finally found the right spot. But he wanted to make sure. The truck rumbled to life and sped off into the distance until he couldn't hear it any more. He needed to make sure; he needed to see inside the barn to make sure this was it before he called the boys. If he called the boys. Better to take out the nest himself if possible than risk the lives of his sons though.

Lights appeared inside as lanterns or candles were lit. There were a few places that he might be able to get a view of them if he was careful. He watched a little while longer then moved towards the side of the barn.

He watched the breaks and holes in the wood for any movement against the light inside, but none appeared. For the short distance between the woods and bar, he was in the open, but there was no sound or movement that indicated he'd been seen or heard as he reached the back of the barn. When he looked inside he could see a couple sitting on old broken down lounge chairs and one standing nearby talking softly to them. He recognized the two sitting; it was Kate and the other vampire that had run from Colorado. The man talking to them was large and muscular with extremely dark skin.

As he watched, he heard a snap and looked up in time to see the two vampires approaching him quickly from the back of the barn. He readied the sword and took a stance to fight; there was no way he could get away from them and to his truck. He needed to at least get them down and injured before he tried to make a break for it.

They were quick, but the first one made the mistake of not looking at the sword before attacking. As the dead man's blood entered his system he looked wide-eyed at John, his knees buckling as he dropped to the ground. The second learned from his companion's mistake. John started to advance, to take the advantage that he'd gained.

"D!" the vampire yelled as he jumped back to avoid the sweeping sword.

John lunged at him again trying to just get the poison in his system so he could make a run for it. He heard a door somewhere, most likely in the front, open roughly. The others were coming. He pressed harder against the vampire, causing it to stumble slightly while trying to back up. One last swing back and the blade barely made contact against its arm. That was enough though. As the vampire stumbled from the poison he turned and started running for the woods.

He never saw what hit him, but an intense pain shot out from the back of his scull and white light blurred his vision before everything went dark.

---

She watched the events unfold from her shadowed position in the woods, amused at the hunter's attempt to fight and flee. She had to raise her eyebrows in admiration as the leader of the nest grabbed something from the side of the barn, perhaps a rock or small log; it was hard to tell from this distance in the dark, even with her excellent night vision. His throw was perfect, striking the hunter in the back of the head, dropping him quickly. She shook her head lightly and watched as he was picked up like a sack of potatoes and flung over the leader's shoulders as if he weighed nothing at all before being hauled into the barn. The other two left poisoned at the side, but the two females close to the leader's heels.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Typical Disclaimer:** This story has the typical violence you'll see in the show along with all the angst. I try not to get too off character or too violent, but I'm giving it a mature rating just to be on the safe side._

_I of course own nothing and get nothing but the satisfaction of writing the story and hopefully making it enjoyable for others as well. Comments are always welcome, good or bad. Thank you to everyone and I hope you have been enjoying it._

---

_**A/N:** This is the final chapter for this story. I hope you have all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it._

---

The barn doors closed with an echo through the now quiet woods. She sighed and thought about what she wanted to do next. If they were angry, which most vampires were in general, they would feed on the hunter now and probably kill him. Or, if they were malicious they might turn him or just torture him for a while. She licked her teeth as she thought … she was a little hungry … this gave her an idea.

---

Dean snapped his phone shut and gripped it like he was going to throw it into the wall of the motel room. Sam paced around the small area in front of the sink, "he said he was almost done, didn't he? He should have been back here way before now … and with the sun already setting…"

"I know, Sam," Dean snapped as he turned away from his brother and wiped his eyes with his free hand. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed his map and spread it out on the table. Sam walked up behind him to see what he was doing. "Based on his pattern search, he should have been looking in this area," Dean indicated on the map where he believed his father was going to be. "We should start searching there," he pointed at the last spot his dad would have searched, "and work our way back to where he was going to start," he slid his finger over the map until it reached the starting point.

"Dean," Sam hesitated, "you don't think he'd go after the whole nest without us, do you?"

Dean just looked up from the map with concern in his eyes, "he said we'd do this together. Come on," he grabbed his jacket and the Impala keys as he headed out the door, Sam close behind.

---

She looked at the side of the barn, watching the two poisoned vampires lying still and chuckled to herself. She didn't try to hide or sneak; she just walked up to the barn door and jerked it open, pulling out her gun and her double-edged short sword.

The three vampires stood around the older hunter's body. His hands were tied behind his back around one of the barn's posts and he was sitting on a stool. She noted that his ankles were tied to the legs of the stool. '_These guys are idiots,_' she thought to herself as she stepped a little closer before stopping. Imagining how easy it would be to simply slip the stool up out of the ropes and be free of it, provided he got his hands free of course.

The leader was bigger up close than he had been at a distance, but she didn't waver. She looked to the hunter, then at the vampires before letting her shoulders go slack a little.

"Who are you and what do you think you're doing?" The leader barked at her as he turned and started walking towards her.

"I'm Katriana, Katri for short, and I'm here to save you from the hunter." She smiled as the leader laughed.

"I'm D and I don't need to be saved as you can see." He stopped a foot or so from her and glared down at her, but she still didn't flinch or back down.

"Well good for you, but I want him. He destroyed my nest, killed my mate, and I've been hunting him ever since. Now that I've found him, he's mine." She glared up at D coldly and gripped her sword tighter, ready for him to make his move.

D just started laughing again. The two female vampires just stood hesitantly, not sure exactly what to do. "Apparently this hunter has been around," he glanced back at the two females, "but he came to my nest and I've caught him, so you just run along because you can't have him."

Apparently D wasn't expecting her to fight physically, perhaps he was expecting her to back down or start arguing. Instead she brought the sword up in a quick upward slice that cut him from hip to underarm. He staggered back in surprise, but she didn't let him get far before she reversed her motion and brought the sword across his neck. Katri looked down at him only a moment before turning her attention to the two females that watched her wide-eyed beside the hunter who was starting to wake up.

The smaller female stepped back away from the hunter but Kate didn't, she stepped between, "he killed my mate too. I deserve him as much as you do."

Katri smiled, "but you apparently can't take him on your own. I tell you what, have a taste. Drink a bit if you like, but he's mine to kill or I'll kill you just as easily as I did D and not blink an eye."

"You should be helping us not killing us. If you don't have a nest any more, then why would you kill him instead of joining him?" The smaller one asked in confusion from somewhere behind Kate.

"I take orders from no one. I wont join a nest, but I might take one over or start my own once I've taken down this hunter and his two buddies."

Kate's eyes widened, "they're here too?"

Katri nodded, "I can smell them. They're not here at the nest, but they've been with him recently. Their scent is on him." She stepped closer to John who was glaring at them both. She could see the muscles in his arms flex as he tried to work at the ropes binding his hands behind the pole. Kate was standing her ground, but her fear was evident in her eyes.

Suddenly Katri jerked her attention to the door of the barn. Kate listened but heard nothing. Katri scowled, "Drink if you want, but if you kill him, I'll take your head," John's eyes widened slightly as Kate turned her attention to him and smiled. "I'm going to check out the noise, he better still be alive when I come back," Katri turned away and headed out of the barn.

Kate put her face in front of his, "I'm going to enjoy this after what you did to Luthor. I just hope she keeps you alive a while and causes you as much pain as I was hoping D would bring. Then I hope she tears your friends apart." John spit in her face and she struck him hard with the back of her hand. His head jerked to the side and before he could turn to face her again he felt her teeth on his neck.

---

Dean and Sam rumbled down the small street in the Impala, high beams on, looking for any sign of their dad or the truck or any roads. A glint from something in the woods attracted Sam's attention and he pointed to it, "Dean, I saw something." Dean slowed the car and, after backing up a bit, parked it on the side of the road. The climbed out and quickly ran across the street into the woods where their dad's truck was parked.

A quick inspection revealed only that their dad wasn't there, and they hoped the blood on the ground outside the truck was from the bottle of dead man's blood they'd filled. Dean found a small broken branch on a bush nearby and immediately began tracking his dad's footprints as best he could.

They heard the echo of their dad's cry, distant sounding. Panic knotted in their stomachs as they quickened their pace and tried to move in the direction they believed it had come from. Dean cursed under his breath as he tried to run through the woods quietly but seemed to find every broken dead stick on the ground. He didn't care though, his dad needed him.

As they burst through the trees into the open area where the old barn rested they heard a woman's scream radiate out from the barn and echo into the woods.

---

Katri walked calmly to the side of the barn. She heard the hunter cry out in pain and quickened her steps a little. Once to the side, she looked down at the two vampires still out of it from the dead man's blood. One was stirring a little bit, but it didn't matter. She quickly used her sword and took their heads before returning to the barn.

---

The hunter hadn't cried out since the initial bite. Kate sat on his lap greedily drinking from the wound she'd caused on the side of his neck. Her friend sat nearby, fangs showing, wanting to taste him but afraid of Katri. She watched the color drain from the hunter's face slowly and his eyelids became heavy.

"That's enough," Katri barked as she returned to the barn. "Get up and bind the wound so he doesn't bleed out."

Kate made a slurping sound as she took one last drink from his neck and then pressed her hand against the wound. She turned to Katri and smiled, "you're turn." She licked at the blood on her lips.

"Bind the wound. I don't want him dying too soon." Katri instructed again, this time looking at the smaller female. She just nodded quickly and grabbed a shirt that had been carelessly thrown in a pile with the other belongings of victims long dead. As Kate stepped back away from the hunter, she pressed the shirt against his neck.

Kate never saw it coming. As her smaller companion pressed the wound to stop the bleeding, Katri moved up and made a swift stroke with her sword. As Kate's body toppled to the ground, her companion screamed out and dropped the shirt she was holding. She tried to back up, but Katri was too fast and simply stepped up and swung the sword again.

She knew the other vampires would be coming back eventually with a fresh victim for the nest and debated whether or not to wait for get the hunter out. She picked up the shirt and pressed it to his neck again. Luckily the wound wasn't too large, though it would definitely scar. Apparently Kate was worried enough about her to only bite into the skin until the blood flowed freely for her to drink. The scent of the fresh blood made her stomach ache and she fought off the desire to allow her fangs to descend and feed on him herself.

Instead she just held the shirt and waited patiently. The scent of the younger hunters reached her and she knew they were close. She listened quietly, though the older hunter's shallow breaths made it difficult to hear outside, she was pretty sure it was the soft footfalls of the younger hunters that she heard nearing the front of the barn. She smiled to herself as she heard the curses, then the heavier and faster steps as they ran to the front of the barn and entered roughly through the door.

---

Dean and Sam both neared the tree-line that opened into the clearing. The barn sat in front of them, flickering lights coming from within. Shadows moved and they started to jog lightly and quietly from the woods, heading towards the barn, when the woman's scream sounded out. Neither one of them hesitated, they just picked up their pace, still trying to be quiet.

They reached the site of the barn and Sam tugged lightly on Dean's shirt sleeve. As Dean looked over, Sam pointed to the two bodies on the ground, their heads lying nearby. Dean swallowed hard and moved to where an opening in the wall was and tried to look in. The blood drained from his face and cursed loudly. Sam froze, afraid to know what his brother saw, but as Dean took off for the door of the barn, Sam didn't hesitate to follow.

They burst through the main door of the barn. Three bodies oozed from the opened necks, their heads resting elsewhere. Sam immediately recognized the vampire hunter holding the shirt to their dad's neck. He took the time to look at her face and noted that her fangs were not down and there was no blood on her lips or face. Dean didn't bother though.

Dean only saw the bodies and the woman at his dad's bleeding side. He raised his sword and advanced on her.

"Dean! No!" Sam called out and tried to grab his arm.

She could see the dead man's blood on the blade of the hunter and the fire that blazed in his eyes. She knew his kind all too well. He saw only what he wanted and even as his brother tried to stop him, she knew it was going to end badly for one of them. She didn't intend for it to be her though. So she waited patiently as he advanced and swung the blade.

Dean heard Sam, but wanted to get to his dad's side and was willing to kill anything that got in his way. He poised his weapon to strike and was a little confused when she didn't move, try to run, or even try to attack. She just stood there with her hand on his father's neck waiting for him. Her other hand was down at her side and as he swung the blade he realized that she had been hiding a blade of her own.

He pulled his sword up in his right hand, with it across his chest, intending to make a single swipe across her neck. '_How silly of him,_' she thought to herself as she watched him begin his swing. She gracefully bent backwards and allowed the blade to swing over her face and implant itself into the wood of the post where his father was tied. Her shot to the front of his body was wide open. She let go of the bloody shirt and grabbed his hand so he couldn't pull it or the blade back and then raised her sword swiftly and let it stop just short of his groin.

Sam had moved up with him and stopped dead in his tracks, "wait! Please, wait." His eyes widened slightly when he realized what position Dean had gotten himself in to. "Please?"

Katri didn't care one way or another. But she was not out to kill the hunters, only the vampires. She liked Sam, he was sweet. She knew that Dean was just frantic about his father, so she let go of his hand and pulled back her sword before stepping back away from all three of them. Careful not to trip over the body of the small female, she turned and walked out of the barn. She could hear them talking to their dad, trying to wake him up. He would be fine. She had a momentary twinge of regret and longing for a family long dead, but it was gone as quickly as it had come.

She watched from the shadows as the boys drug their father out of the barn and into the woods. She smiled to herself knowing that they would get him back to their motel or to the hospital and they would live to fight another day. She waited there in the shadows for another hour or so. Until she heard the rumbling of the old pickup truck on its way back down the dirt road.

---

John woke with a start and jumped into a sitting position on the bed. Sam was sleeping on the other bed and Dean stood quickly from his place in the chair near the table. The small ice pack fell from his neck and he winced as he flexed his neck muscles.

"Hey dad, take it easy, you've lost a lot of blood," Dean said cautiously as he picked up the ice pack and offered it back to his dad.

John nodded his thanks and took the pack, placing it gently against his neck. He looked around the room and noticed the sun was up. "What time is it?"

"About 8:30," Dean smirked at Sam, "he didn't fall asleep until about 6."

"What about the vampires?"

"Dead. That woman vampire hunter thing was there when Sammy and me showed up. You were tied up and she had killed them all." Dean's voice couldn't hide the slight admiration towards her.

"Did you find anything about her? Any thefts or missing blood from donation centers, hospitals, or even butchers?"

"No, nothing." Dean shrugged.

"Wait, she killed all of them? Even the ones that had left to hunt?" John suddenly remembered the truck that had left the barn shortly after he'd arrived.

"Uh …" Dean tried to think, "There were five bodies. I don't know about any others."

"That means there's still three out there and we need to get them." John started to get up from the bed.

"Dad, no," Dean snapped and then immediately tried to adjust his voice as his father glared at him.

Sam began to stir in the bed and looked over at both of them, "hey dad, how are you feeling?" Sam stiffly raised himself up into a sitting position, "what's going on?"

"We're going back to that nest, that's what. We have to finish the job." John stood up, hesitating only a moment as his head spun a little.

"Dad, let me and Sammy go, you're in no shape …" Dean started.

"No. We're all going, now let's go." John grabbed the truck keys and his jacket as he walked out the door.

Sam and Dean exchanged frowns as they grabbed their things and climbed into the Impala.

When they reached the barn there was nothing left. Small plumes of smoke drifted from the remains of the barn's frame. The old pickup truck was off to the side and didn't appear to be damaged. Something caught Dean's eye and he headed for the truck. Inside were two people, unconscious, but alive.

John went through the remains of the barn. Fragments of skeletons were piled up near the center, but there wasn't much left.

---

They sat in the motel looking at all the research about the demon. Now that the vampires had been taken care of, they could get back on to the hunt that their whole lives had been about. Finally, they packed their bags up and headed for Salvation, Iowa.

---

The sun was below the horizon and she pulled up into the parking lot. She clipped on her hospital ID badge and entered the building, waving to the night watchman as she stepped up to the elevator and hit the down button. Once it arrived she hit the L3 and sat back waiting for it to take her to her floor.

The doors opened and she moved quietly to the back area were the furnace was burning hotly. An older man was pulling bundles of blood from a cooler and preparing them for incineration.

"Hey there Kat, how are you doing this evening?"

"Just fine Frank, how 'bout you?"

"Pretty good. I was about to do the incineration of the old blood donations for you. Forgot that you were coming back tonight." Frank smiled at her, "so how was your vacation anyway?"

"Relaxing." Katri smiled and put on the hospital's required protective gear when handling potentially contaminated material. She rolled her eyes to herself, but followed the proper routine.

"Well, I'll leave you to your work then. I think I'm going to head on home. The wife has been bugging me for some attention lately, so maybe I'll take her out for dinner" he winked at Katri as he took off his gear, and then waved as he headed towards the elevators. "Have a good night!"

"Good night Frank," she called back. She closed the door, smiled, and looked through the various bags trying to decide if there was anything worth having for dinner.

end 


End file.
